Calling All Titans and a Vigilante
by writergirl712
Summary: When the Titans begin to vanish, Robin is forced to call in any help he can get – even vigilantes. Meanwhile, Kid Flash and Tempestra are attacked by The Creator and…Red X? How do they beat the bad guys? Better yet, how do they put up with each other?
1. Diners, Costumes, Paparazzi, and Jogging

**A/N:** READERS DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE READ "A GOOD THIEF". This is the episode following "A Good Thief", but by all means, you can just read this without having read "A Good Thief". It's pretty long, so no need.

That being said, I hope everyone enjoys this! I actually finished it long before I finished "A Good Thief", but I wanted it to take place after the long story. It doesn't occur _right_ after "A Good Thief", but perhaps a few months. Read, enjoy, and review!

* * *

It was a time for drastic measures. The Teen Titans were being picked off, one by one, unable to fend off the greater odds, nor able to help each other. They were being outnumbered and outwitted, with nowhere to hide.

And Robin had no other choice but to call _her_ for help.

* * *

"It wouldn't kill you to just jog, would it?"

Scowling, the seventeen-year-old Asian girl waved a fork at her companion, who was demolishing his dinner in record time. Literally.

The boy finished his meal and sat back. Giving a satisfied burp – to the disgust of the girl – he smoothed back his shock of red hair.

"Now, what's the fun in jogging when you can run like the wind?"

Sighing heavily, the teen girl just shook her head. It really was no use trying to argue with a super-speedster. No matter how much you argued, they would always love to outrun _everyone_. Not that the girl hadn't tried. She'd spent the entire time she'd been traveling with Kid Flash trying to convince him to slow down so she could catch up.

"Whoops." The boy grinned, his blue eyes lighting up at his unintentional pun. "I forgot – in this case, I can run _faster_ than the wind. As demonstrated by you."

His companion shot him a violet-eyed glare, something that was fast becoming a habit. As someone who could manipulate the wind and weather, she'd chosen to travel by flying on her regular mode of transportation – a small twister flattened into a solid platform that she could control with her mind.

Still, Kid Flash had outdistanced her each time. His way of traveling was to sprint to the next rest stop, then spend the rest of his time waiting for her to catch up on her wind platform. They'd take a break briefly, then start again until dark. At the moment, the two of them were having dinner at a local diner before sleeping at a hotel for the night. But characteristically for a teen boy, Kid Flash was having multiple servings to sate his rapid metabolism.

"This is definitely the last time I travel around with you," the girl groaned, putting her head in her hands. Looking up, she saw that Kid Flash had ordered another meal for himself and was busily working on it.

"You do know that you have to pay for your own food?" she pointed out, raising her eyebrows. "That money's going to add up pretty fast."

Unperturbed by this, the boy shrugged.

"Then I'll just make some money. With my skills, I can get regular stuff done five times as fast." Finally contented, the youth propped his tall yellow boots on the opposite seat, where his companion was sitting.

Annoyed, the girl pushed away the boots.

"Hey. I might not be as severe as Robin, but I'm not putting up with your bad habits." As Kid Flash casually placed his feet back on the seat, the girl narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Two can play at that game."

Leaning back into her seat, the Asian teen set her own black calf-high boots onto the seat next to Kid Flash, who merely glanced at them.

"How do you fight in those things?" he asked curiously, poking the inch-long heels. "Don't you fall or something?"

Scowling, his companion lightly kicked at his hand to shake him off.

"Stop that," she ordered. "And I can fight perfectly fine in-"

"HEY! YOU'RE KID FLASH!"

Startled, the two teens sat up straight in their seats, looking around. The source of the shout was a young boy, who was standing in front of their booth, looking extremely excited.

"Wha-"

"Yeah!" The preteen's eyes were wide. "You're Kid Flash, the Teen Titan, right? Right?"

Blinking, Kid Flash shook off his surprise.

"Well, yeah," he replied, a grin spreading over his face. He could never resist fame. "I _am_ Kid Flash, the super-"

"HEY, GUYS!" The younger boy turned and yelled at a small group of kids his age. "GUESS WHAT? KID FLASH IS OVER HERE!"

With something that sounded like shouts and screams of glee, two girls and another boy joined the kid. All four of them stared at Kid Flash, who looked nonplussed at the attention he was receiving.

"Oh my god! He _is_ Kid Flash!"

"Can you really run around the world in ten seconds?"

"He's so cool-looking!"

"Hey, is that your girlfriend?"

At the last question, all four of the preteens looked at Kid Flash expectantly. The Titan, for his part, looked at his petite companion, who stared back, her appalled expression mirroring his.

"Um, I am definitely _not_ his girlfriend," the girl replied flatly. As she shook her head firmly, her dangling silver lightning bolt earrings swayed. "No way."

"Ohhhh..."

The four kids switched their attention to the other teen, taking in her appearance: a black long-sleeved shirt with a V-collar and a lightning bolt shape cut out just below, a thick black choker, and a purple and black plaited and pleated short skirt held up by a black leather belt decorated with a silver buckle engraved with a purple lightning bolt. Her knee-length violet cape was swept to the side, out of the way.

Her costume was a stark contrast to Kid Flash's costume, which was entirely yellow except for the red lightning bolt on the front, red pants, and long red gloves.

The girl crossed her legs, which were covered by tight black leggings.

"Look, kids. We're just, um, traveling companions. That's all." As the preteens continued to stare at her, the girl closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Tucking a lock of her long straight black hair behind one ear, she shot a covert look at Kid Flash.

The youth, on the contrary, looked amused.

"Don't listen to her," he told his fans, winking conspiratorially. "She's in denial. We're actually the best of friends. Even if she doesn't realize it yet."

"HAROLD JACKSON. STOP BOTHERING THE NICE PEOPLE AND GET OVER HERE WITH YOUR FRIENDS."

Wincing, the first boy looked at Kid Flash apologetically.

"Well, it was great t'meetcha, anyway, Kid Flash."

The Titan gave him a nod.

"Right back atcha, kid. You'd better get back to your mom, then."

Looking dejected, the preteens trooped off, still shooting the superhero glances.

After watching them leave, Kid Flash turned back to his companion.

"So," he remarked, a grin lighting up his face. "You do realize that they never even knew your name?"

In response, the teen girl glared at him, but didn't say anything. "Then again," Kid Flash continued nonchalantly, "Your name is kinda a mouthful. I'd forget it, too, if I were them. 'Kid Flash' is a way cooler name, if you ask me. Easy to remember, and all. Not like-"

"Shut up."

The youth instantly stopped talking as the girl leaned forward. Her silver arm guards, engraved with purple lightning bolts on the sides, clicked on the hard plastic surface of the table between them.

Eyes narrowed, the Asian teen spoke quietly and clearly with barely-constrained patience.

"You really need to stop harping on my name," she told him firmly as he leaned in closer to hear her. "Stop making me look bad in front of people. And most of all, when we travel tomorrow, jog, not run, so I'm not left behind."

"HEY, KID FLASH!"

The redheaded youth continued to stare, bewildered, at the girl opposite of him, even as the preteen from before skidded to a halt next to him, pen and paper in hand.

"Kid Flash! I forgot to ask you – can I have your autograph?"

Without taking his eyes off his companion, Kid Flash scribbled his name quickly on the piece of paper. As the kid ran off excitedly, the Asian teen moved out of the booth. With one more meaningful look at the superhero, she stood up resolutely.

"See you later, Kid."

Uncharacteristically silenced, the teen boy just blinked as his companion strode away.

"Oh, right," the youth called after her casually, finding his voice once more. "Don't worry – I'll just pay for the bill. And the tip. Don't you worry about it." Watching her exit the diner and make her way over to the hotel, Kid Flash's voice softened.

"Don't worry about any of it. Tempestra."

* * *

**A/N:** Haha, I just had to save the name for the end.


	2. Rooms, Tofu, and Lakes

**A/N:** Aaaaand here's chapter 2! More Tempestra and Kid Flash interaction, and the appearance of one of the Titans' C-list villains.

* * *

"Two rooms, please. One night only."

Standing at the front desk of the hotel, the vigilante rummaged in her belt for her money as the man at the desk calculated the costs.

"Are you sure that's wise?"

Entirely unfazed by Kid Flash's sudden appearance, Tempestra took out a bunch of bills. Not looking at the youth, she watched the concierge into the computer.

"Then what's your big idea, Kid?"

The redheaded teen rolled his eyes at the nickname as he leaned against the desk.

"Well, the cost might add up. It's an actual hotel, instead of a motel." Casting his eyes around the area, he noted the well-dressed people coming in and out of the lobby. "Do you have the money for it?"

"Eighty dollars a night for each room," the concierge told Tempestra in a clipped voice. "One hundred sixty dollars is your sum."

Kid Flash smirked.

"Like I said. Do you have the money for it?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Tempestra took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, she opened her eyes again and looked back at the concierge.

"One hundred sixty dollars?"

A whoosh of air and a flutter of her cape, and her companion was standing on her other side, facing her as he leaned backwards against the desk – to the concierge's obvious annoyance.

"We could always just get one big room," the youth suggested, arms crossed. "It would be cheaper, right?"

The Asian girl gave him an irritated look.

"No way am I living in the same room as you. Even for just a night." As Kid Flash shrugged, the girl turned back to the deskman. "How much for two of the smallest, cheapest rooms?"

Typing on the computer, the concierge looked back at her.

"One hundred dollars total," he replied shortly. "It's the smallest rooms we have. They're connected, with one bathroom between them."

Glancing at Kid Flash's bored look, Tempestra placed two twenty dollar bills and a ten dollar bill on the desk.

"Here's half. Kid, cough up a fifty. I'm not paying for your room."

Looking disgruntled, the Titan slapped a fifty dollar bill onto the desk and went back to watching the people go by, his arms crossed.

Giving the concierge an apologetic look, Tempestra handed over the money, then accepted the two card keys.

"Thanks," she replied. "We'll be in and out with no problem."

"Great. Just great."

Hands on her hips, Tempestra surveyed the small room critically. With only one bed, a tiny closet, and a door leading to the connecting bathroom, it was the most sparsely furnished room the girl had ever been in. And having once been the daughter of a well-to-do family, this was certainly a new low.

The Asian girl was just dropping her dark purple backpack onto the plain bed when Kid Flash burst into her room and proceeded to examine it closely, speeding from one corner to the next.

"Huh." The speedster finally came to a halt, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I could swear your room is bigger than mine."

Glancing through the open bathroom doors, Tempestra rolled her eyes.

"It's exactly the same, smart one," she replied, gingerly sitting down on the bed opposite her companion. "And you really need to start knocking on doors, especially since our rooms are connected. And do I need to remind you to lock _both_ doors when you go to the bathroom?"

Kid Flash merely smirked in response to the girl's mocking tone. Falling backwards to lay across the bed, he tucked his hands behind his head comfortably.

"Nah. I do have some sense of privacy, y'know." Glancing over, he saw the Asian teen frowning at him. "What?"

Sighing with exaggerated patience, Tempestra poked the speedster's muscled arm.

"This is _my_ bed, Kid. Get off."

The boy grinned, his blue eyes flashing wickedly.

"Make me."

Tempestra rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she remarked, shaking her head. "That is such a juvenile comeback."

Shrugging, Kid Flash closed his eyes.

"Nope. I'm not kidding. If you want me to get off so bad, make me. Unless..." he opened his eyes and raised one eyebrow mischievously. "You really _want_ me to stay here."

The girl scowled, not missing the double meaning.

"Fine. But you asked for it."

Kid Flash smirked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down comically.

"What're you gonna do?" he asked mockingly, as his companion took a deep breath to steady herself. "Blow on me with some win-"

Tempestra extended one hand, pointing towards the boy. At once, thin bolts of lightning crawled down her arm and shot from the tip of her index finger, jolting Kid Flash from his position on the bed and knocking him onto the floor.

Breaking off the stream of electricity, the Asian teen walked over to the youth, who was sitting up slowly, wincing.

"Seriously, Kid. Some people just shouldn't have their buttons pushed."

Bending down, the girl offered her companion her right hand, which was now lightning-free. Shaking his head to clear it, Kid Flash took the proffered hand and let Tempestra help him to his feet.

"Well," he commented, brushing dust from his suit, "It's a good thing you're not one of those people."

As Tempestra rolled her eyes at his audacity, the speedster grinned.

"Meet you outside for a patrol," he told her, then zoomed from the room, shutting the door behind him.

Taking advantage of the Kid Flash-free moment, Tempestra fell back onto her bed and closed her eyes, arms spread-eagled over the covers. After days of traveling through all kinds of weather and places, she was tired of constantly moving. For just a few minutes, she wanted to savor the quiet stillness and relax, maybe even take a quick nap...

Her cell phone rang, emitting two high-pitched beeps that crashed through the girl's calm aura. Irritably opening her eyes, Tempestra used her right hand to open the outside pocket of her backpack and take out her phone.

Very few people had her cell phone number, which was the only way to contact her from a distance. It was either Damien (her heart quickened slightly at the thought) or Robin. But if it was Robin, it was probably close to the end of the world. He never called her if he could help it, preferring to ask official Titans for help. Even _those_ times were scarce. And, of course, there was Kid Flash. But he preferred to just run over to her if he wanted to talk. The youth never did something if he could run instead.

Flipping open the clunky black phone, the girl held it to her ear.

"Hel-"

"'mbeingattacked!"

Jerking her ear away from the receiver, Tempestra stared at the phone for a second. The voice was loud and rushed, the words jumbled together into a meaningless stream. What made it worse was the whooshing noise in the background, as if air was flying by at top speeds. Or the person speaking was flying by at top speeds. Putting the cell phone back to her ear, the girl spoke cautiously.

"Kid Flash? Speak slower – I can't understand you."

There was a rush of static as the speedster gave a sigh of frustration.

"Tempestra," he said clearly, his voice only slightly slower. "Get down here right now. I'm being attacked down the street from the hotel. I NEED BACKUP."

Tempestra blinked, startled. Kid Flash was one of the last people to admit to needing any kind of backup or help. He, like many other male superheroes, preferred to think that they had the situation under control, even when they obviously didn't. Whatever was happening to Kid Flash, it was serious.

"I'll be right down," the girl replied swiftly, bounding up from the bed. When she heard the Titan hang up, she closed her cell phone with a snap and shoved it back inside her backpack, then shouldered it.

Starting towards the door, Tempestra hesitated. Her room was positioned on the third floor, meaning that her descent down to the street would take a precious amount of time. She didn't have time to go down an elevator, or even fly down the stairs. She needed a shortcut.

Eyes landing on the medium-sized window set into the ivory-colored wall, the girl made a split-second's decision. Firing off a burst of lightning, she shattered the window outwards (inwardly praying that nobody was outside to get hit by the falling glass and wood). The resulting hole was just big enough for her to try a little trick she'd learned from Robin.

Backing up until her backpack was against the door on the opposite wall, Tempestra took a deep breath. Then, she began sprinting towards the hole in the wall. When she was a foot in front of it, the girl leaped headfirst through the opening, making her body streamlined as possible to get through unscathed.

She almost made it.

Her head and shoulders out of the gap, Tempestra winced as a stab of pain lanced through her left leg. A piece of jagged glass must've slashed through her legging and cut through her skin.

Ignoring the pain, the girl concentrated instead on her landing. Doing a small mental trick, she created one of her wind platforms right underneath her. It appeared, whirling and barely visible, in time for the vigilante to do a neat roll onto it and land on her knees. Perfect, except for the leg cut. It was much harder than Robin made it look like whenever he jumped out of buildings to land on one of Raven's black discs. At least this time, the night's darkness kept anyone from spotting her.

Getting to her feet, Tempestra mentally directed the wind platform so that it flew around the side of the hotel. As she glanced back at the jagged hole – looking extremely out of place from the other bright, polished glass windows – a twinge of guilt went through the girl. She'd promised the concierge that she and Kid Flash wouldn't cause trouble. And now, she was leaving them with a thoroughly destroyed window.

Shaking away this thought, the vigilante soared around the hotel and towards the front. Flying ten feet above the near-empty roadway, she glanced down the street in both directions to look for the commotion. It was late evening, meaning that most people were indoors, or else civilians on the street or in the cars would be staring at her floating in midair. As it was, a few people had stopped from coming out of a restaurant to gawk at her.

Most of the cars, it seemed, were coming from the east. They sped by, faster than was normal for the light evening traffic. Pedestrians, too, were walking rather quickly from the same direction, casting anxious looks over their shoulders. Noticing this, Tempestra turned to face the east. There seemed to be some kind of commotion, involving a gathering of quite a number of similarly-looking people, and a red and yellow blur. Definitely Kid Flash.

Powering her hands with lightning – to the pedestrians' horror – Tempestra zoomed through the air, distantly feeling her leg gash sting from the onslaught of wind. Coming nearer, the girl saw that Kid Flash was surrounded by no less than forty men, all of them looking exactly alike: middle-aged Caucasian men with black hair streaked with gray, wearing white-collar workers' crisp cotton shirts, blue ties, black pants, and black dress shoes. Large old-fashioned glasses were stuck over their eyes, while creepily fake smiles were plastered on their faces.

Having read the Teen Titans' files on the many villains that they'd faced, Tempestra instantly recognized the Bobs. Created by a block of space tofu called 'The Creator', the Bobs were made from the same material, called 'newfu'. The last time they'd been spotted, The Creator had been eaten by Cyborg and the Bobs destroyed by Beast Boy. Obviously, they'd made a comeback.

Now, scanning the Bobs as she approached the scene, the vigilante spotted one of the Bobs holding a small glass container holding a small block of newfu in a liquid – The Creator. The leader, a jagged black mouth and pair of yellow eyes under a black unibrow pasted on the block, was screaming encouragement as the Bobs attempted to tackle Kid Flash. The super-speedster, however, was running circles around them, ramming into each of them and causing them to hit the ground and dissolve into a cream-colored mush. Unfortunately, the pulp would reform into a Bob again and redouble its attempt at attacking the Titan.

The Creator and Kid Flash both spotted Tempestra at the same time.

"A little help here!" the redheaded teen yelled, ducking to avoid three Bobs as they dove at him. The Creator's eyes widened – out of fear or anger, Tempestra didn't know – and began screaming commands again.

"Attack the girl! Attack the girl!" It shrieked, its voice surprisingly shrill.

Immediately, twelve Bobs jumped into two pyramids, standing on each other's shoulders in order to reach the vigilante. The two on the tops of the heaps leaped at the girl, hands reaching out to grab her.

Flying backwards a few feet, Tempestra hurled fistfuls of lightning at the Bob pyramids, causing most of them to splatter to the ground, then materialize again into Bobs. Frustrated, the vigilante created a thick rope of air, then used it to trap five Bobs to the ground. In spite of this, the newfu creations simply turned themselves into mush, slithered out from under the rope, then congealed themselves into Bobs again.

It was hopelessly maddening. Everything that Kid Flash and Tempestra did was useless as the Bobs reformed over and over, never once staying in their paste-like state or falling unconscious. Even Kid Flash's rapid speed tunnel, created when he ran around them in circles, didn't defeat them. And it didn't help that The Creator kept screeching "Kill them! Kill them!" endlessly.

Finally, Kid Flash jumped onto Tempestra's wind platform, grabbing her hand to steady himself as the platform flew upwards, out of range. The Bobs, attempting to make even taller pyramids to reach them, vainly fell to the ground.

"Uh, got any ideas on how to get rid of them?" Kid Flash asked, quickly letting go of the vigilante's hand and pointing at the Bobs, who were attempting to climb onto parked cars to get closer.

Tempestra raised her eyebrows as she blasted the nearest Bobs with balls of lightning. When her leg gave a throb of pain, the girl distractedly grabbed a roll of antiseptic bandages from her backpack and wrapped it around the wound.

"Aren't _you_ supposed to know how to defeat them, being an official Titan?" she pointed out skeptically, putting the roll away. When Kid Flash just looked at her, completely clueless, the girl gave a huff of annoyance and straightened. "The Titans have files on their enemies and their weaknesses, you know."

The super-speedster shrugged.

"I was never into computery stuff," he remarked dismissively. "Too boring. So what's their weakness?"

The vigilante moved the wind platform backward to avoid a Bob, who managed to climb up a nearby lamppost and make a leap for them. The other Bobs, seeing this, began to do the same thing.

"Water," Tempestra replied finally, making the wind platform weave to avoid the Bobs suddenly jumping at them from neighboring lampposts. "They go back to their newfu forms when they touch water."

Kid Flash grinned.

"Let's get hoses and waterguns!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "It'll be awesome. All we have to do is shoot them with water and bam! They're finished."

"Great idea, Kid," Tempestra remarked, voice heavy with sarcasm, "Except for one thing – where are we going to get the hoses and waterguns? And the water for them? They don't even have pools around here."

The boy's face fell.

"Oh. Yeah." Then he brightened again. "But on the east edge of the city, there's a forest and a lake."

Tempestra raised her eyebrows doubtfully.

"There's a lake? Are you sure?"

The speedster smirked confidently.

"'Course I am. I explored the city in, like, five seconds, remember?"

The Asian girl pursed her lips thoughtfully, absentmindedly shooting a Bob with a bolt of lightning.

"All right. I've got an idea."

Turning the wind platform around, the vigilante cupped her hands around her mouth and faced The Creator, its container held snugly in a Bob's arms.

"Hey, you! The Creator, or whatever you call yourself! You've got strength in numbers, but are you fast enough to catch us?!" Dropping her hands back to her sides, the girl began flying eastward, glancing back to make sure that they were being followed. Sure enough, the Bobs began running after the two teens, The Creator screaming, "Get them! Get them!" in a high-pitched voice.

Smiling smugly, Tempestra turned back forwards to direct the wind platform towards the edge of the forest. Glancing at Kid Flash, she saw the youth shaking his head disappointedly.

"What?" she demanded.

Kid Flash sighed, crossing his arms.

"That was a pathetic excuse for a taunt," the boy commented, still shaking his head. "It almost makes successful taunts look bad."

Tempestra rolled her eyes.

"Isn't that what crime-fighters do?" she retorted. "Yell bad puns and comebacks?" When the speedster raised one eyebrow questioningly, the vigilante shook her head. "If you're going to complain, you can just jump down and get to the lake by yourself."

The superhero peeked over the edge of the wind platform, which was flying at least thirty-five miles per hour, to see that they were thirty feet from the ground. Any jump from their height, at their speed, would be fatal.

"Uh, I'm staying on."

The vigilante smirked as they crossed the city line.

"Thought so."

They both fell silent as the soared away from the outskirts of the city and towards the forest. The Bobs were still sprinting after them, seemingly never getting tired. And The Creator was still screaming "Run after them! Run after them!" as loudly as possible.

As they neared the edge of the forest, the lush green treetops just above their height, Kid Flash eyed the thick woods with apprehension.

"Are you going to fly over the trees, or through them?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "'Cause you might hit a branch or something that'll make us both fall."

Tempestra shot him an exasperated look.

"We're flying through them so the Bobs won't lose sight of us," she replied with forced patience. "And I won't let us fall to the ground or hit a branch. Have a little faith in me, Kid." As the speedster muttered, "I would if you gave me reason to," the girl slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

They plunged into the woods, Tempestra concentrating as they wove through the outstretched branches. Below, the Bobs never slackened their speed as they crashed through the undergrowth, looking up once in awhile to keep their target in their sights. Even Kid Flash, not wanting to distract the focused vigilante, stayed silent, even as a falling twig clipped him on the head and leaves tangled in his hair.

"How far is the lake?" The girl's voice was curt as, eyes narrowed, she jerked the wind platform to the left to avoid a tree branch. Kid Flash, having lost his balance multiple times, was now clutching the vigilante's shoulder to steady himself.

"Uh, not that fa-"

The Titan's reply was interrupted as the maze of tree branches suddenly thinned. The two teens burst into a large clearing, dominated by a large pond, the blue surface barely rippling. Bushes lined the edge of the water as reeds thrust up from the calm surface.

Tempestra flew to the center of the pond, giving Kid Flash a glance.

"This is a pond, you idiot," she said exasperatedly. "_Not_ a lake."

Her companion merely shrugged.

"Close enough."

At the vigilante's urging, the wind platform turned on the spot, facing the direction from which they'd just come from. A second later, the Bobs burst into the clearing. Spotting the pond, the ones in the front skidded to a halt, only to be shoved forward as the ones behind them failed to stop. Ten Bobs fell into the water, instantly turning into small, cube-shaped newfu that floated on the surface.

"Nice," Tempestra and Kid Flash commented at the same time. The remaining Bobs spread out along the edge of the pond, trying not to fall in. A couple of the clumsier ones, being jostled by their fellows, tripped into the water, turning into their newfu form.

"Get closer to the edge," Kid Flash suggested, eyes on the Bobs. "They might try to jump for us."

Raising her eyebrows, Tempestra followed his advice, flying lower and nearer to the Bobs.

"You actually have a good idea," she remarked, voice grudgingly surprised. A group of Bobs made a leap for the wind platform, then missed, falling into the water with a plop. Kid Flash flashed a grin.

"I try."

Twelve more Bobs, forming a pyramid, made a dive at Tempestra, who jerked the wind platform back. All twelve of the Bobs splashed into the water, leaving very few left back on land. Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Kid Flash nudged Tempestra with his elbow.

"Lower this thing close to water level," he ordered, bending his knees in preparation. "I'm going to finish them off." The vigilante obliged, muttering, "It's a wind platform, not a _thing_."

Once they were hovering mere inches above the water, Kid Flash sped across the surface of the water, only a blur as he produced ripples in his wake. Reaching the edge of the water, the speedster sprinted behind the Bobs, pushing each of them in the back into the water as he did. One by one, the Bobs tumbled in, until there was one left. Kid Flash shoved him in with one hand, then neatly caught the container holding The Creator with his other hand.

Struggling not to look impressed – and thus, make Kid Flash even more egotistic – Tempestra raised her eyebrows.

"Good jo-"

"Let me go, insolent human!" The Creator shrieked, bouncing up and down in the liquid. "You will pay for this! Where is my backup?"

"Backup?" Kid Flash shook the container questioningly. "Who sent you? Why'd you attack me?"

The cube of newfu laughed maniacally.

"You shall never know, human! You will pay for this! You-"

With one deft movement, Kid Flash unscrewed the lid of the container and dumped The Creator into the water, where he began to sink, screaming, "Insolent human! Bring me back!" The super-speedster shook his head stubbornly as Tempestra sighed, crossing her arms.

"Nope. Not until you tell me who sent you and why you attacked me. And who's your backup?"

"That would be me."

The mechanical voice came from a black-clothed figure as it tackled Kid Flash to the ground and threw him into the nearest tree. The superhero hit the wood hard and fell forward onto his knees, where his attacker, ragged cape fluttering, grabbed him by the throat and shoved him against the side of the tree once again.

And Tempestra realized whom, exactly, the backup was.

Red X.


	3. Confrontations, Plans, and Criminals

**A/N:** Third and last section! I know this story's pretty short (especially compared to "A Good Thief") and I posted it very quickly, but I've still got my crossover to post and work on. I'm about halfway through, so I've started posting it already. It's called "The Call", so be sure to check it out if you want more Tempestra goodness!

* * *

"No."

This was wrong. Red X didn't go after superheroes. He only stole for himself, and never even thought about partnering with another person – least of all someone as dimwitted as The Creator. The Red X she knew wasn't like that. Right?

Kid Flash swiftly kicked the thief in the torso, throwing him back momentarily, then began sprinting around him in circles, kicking up a wind tunnel. As Red X began to be lifted into the air, the thief shot a burst of red xenothium into the yellow and red blur that was the speedster.

Hit by the charge, Kid Flash stumbled backwards, traces of xenothium writhing over his body. Red X strode over to the momentarily stunned superhero, lifted him up by the front of his costume, then hurled him back into the water with a well-placed punch to the face. Everyone had forgotten The Creator, who sank underneath the surface of the water with a gurgle.

"Red X!"

Distracted by the sound of the voice, the thief turned-

-in time to be thrown backwards by a powerful upwards punch by Tempestra. Landing on the ground, Red X looked up, eyes widening.

"_You_."

Tempestra stood over the thief, clashing emotions crossing her face: anguish, confusion, and anger. As Red got to his feet slowly, the girl made no move to stop him, though her fists remained clenched by her sides.

"Tempestra! Shock him with lightning!"

That was Kid Flash, who was staggering to his knees. The superhero was panting from the excruciating pain of the xenothium, and was staring at the vigilante desperately. "Tempestra, get Red X now!" When the girl didn't move, the speedster bellowed, "What're you waiting for?"

Red X was staring at her, his face unreadable because of his mask. Uncertain, Tempestra's gaze on him wavered towards Kid Flash.

"I-"

With a low noise of frustration, the speedster darted forwards, hitting Red X in the back and heaving him forwards a few feet onto the ground. Before the thief could get up, the superhero dashed to him again and grabbed him by the cloak, flinging his opponent into a large tree trunk.

"No! Don't!"

Looking suddenly angry, Tempestra ran over to Red X. As Kid Flash – seeing his companion's actions – hesitated before making another sprint at the thief, the vigilante raised one hand to create a small dome of crackling electricity surrounding both Red X and herself. Kid Flash slammed headfirst into the side of the lightning barrier, then stumbled away, his body stinging from the shock. Looking furious, the speedster walked up to the dome and kicked it, receiving another shock for his efforts.

"Tempestra! What're you doing? Lemme in!"

To the boy's horror, he saw that inside the shield, Tempestra was helping Red X to his feet. The girl was speaking in whispers, trying to stop Kid Flash from overhearing her.

"What are you doing here?"

The thief glanced around at the electric dome, then looked back at the vigilante.

"On a job. I didn't know that you – they never mentioned _you'd_ be with him."

Tempestra rubbed her temples wearily.

"You're on a job to attack Kid Flash?" When the youth nodded, she asked, "Who sent you?"

Red X hesitated, then said, "The Brotherhood of Evil."

The girl's eyebrows shot up.

"The Brotherhood of Evil?" Stunned, she turned away for a moment. Then, as an afterthought, she looked back at the thief. "How much did they pay you?"

The tall youth nodded, as if her question had been expected.

"50k."

Tempestra's eyebrows rose higher, if that were possible. Turning back to face the thief, she stepped closer to him.

"Fifty thousand dollars." She let out an impressed whistle. "God, no wonder you did it. You usually don't do those kind of missions. Right?" she added, as if worried that the teen was about to disagree. Red X, however, just nodded.

Relieved, the vigilante relaxed, then quickly took a step back to put some more space between them. She couldn't show that she knew Red X more than just a vigilante should. Kid Flash was probably already suspicious, seeing that she was having a secret conversation with the thief.

Remembering the superhero, Tempestra glanced to the side. The speedster was standing in front of the lightning shield, trying to listen in to what they were saying. When he saw that the girl had spotted him, the boy took a step back, his accusing eyes meeting hers.

Guiltily, Tempestra looked back at Red X, who was watching her.

"So you agreed to bring in a superhero?" she asked reproachfully.

"So you're _becoming_ a superhero?" Red X retorted.

Looking away, the vigilante shook her head.

"No. I just-" she looked beseechingly at the thief. "-I just needed to travel. I didn't want to do it by myself, and I didn't know this area. Kid Flash was looking for his own city to protect, so we just thought it would be better if we traveled together." For a moment, the girl thought about telling him about her real reason – looking for leads on The Elite – but thought better of it. What if Kid Flash was listening? What if Red X stopped her because he thought it was too dangerous?

"You could always just come back to Jump City," Red X suggested quietly. At this, the girl looked away.

"I'd rather not." There was a moment of awkward silence after this adamant refusal. "So...what're you going to do now?" Tempestra glanced at Kid Flash again. "I really can't let you take Kid Flash in, and I don't want to fight you." She looked back at Red X. "But I don't want to rob you of your money."

The thief shrugged.

"It's fine. They gave me 10k first." Though his face was hidden behind the white skull-shaped mask, it sounded as though the youth was smirking. After a pause, the thief added, "I don't want to fight you, either."

Smiling, Tempestra breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, then I guess I should let you go. And – I should probably have some kind of explanation ready for Kid Flash. He must be incredibly suspicious by now. So..."

There was a slightly awkward moment as the two of them had no idea how to depart. After all, the last time they'd said their goodbyes, Red X had kissed Tempestra. Anything like that right now would most likely give Kid Flash a heart attack.

Finally, Red X settled with squeezing Tempestra's shoulder comfortingly. The girl smiled back reassuringly, returning the gesture. As she released the thief, the vigilante remarked, "If the Brotherhood goes after you for not finishing the job, give me a call."

"Will do," Red X replied. When Tempestra snapped her fingers, making the electric dome disappear, the thief raised one hand in farewell, then pressed the small x mark on his belt. By the time Kid Flash – realizing that the barrier was gone – sprinted forward to tackle the thief, Red X vanished into thin air.

Frustrated, Kid Flash turned on Tempestra.

"What the heck was that all about?" he demanded, stomping over to the girl, who was staring at the spot where Red X had disappeared. "You just shut me out, talk to a criminal who was trying to kill me, and let him go! What were you _thinking_?"

Tempestra met the superhero's eyes.

"He wasn't trying to kill you," she told him firmly. "Just trying to bring you in. The Brotherhood of Evil paid him to get you, but...I convinced him not to."

The speedster just goggled at her.

"You _convinced_ him not to bring me into the Brotherhood of Evil?" he repeated, stunned. "Even though he was paid by them?" The girl just nodded. "Oh, jeez." Turning away, the boy ran a hand through his shock of red hair as Tempestra watched him calmly.

"Ok, answer this." Kid Flash turned back to the vigilante. "How do you know Red X? How are you so...friendly with him? He's a thief, and you're a-"

"Vigilante?" Tempestra finished. "It's, uh, a long story. One that I'm not about to tell." Looking uncomfortable, the girl created a wind platform and stepped onto it. To her surprise, Kid Flash followed her onto the platform.

"I'm not done with you yet," the speedster said in answer to the girl's startled look. As they rose into the air until they were above the treetops, the boy asked, "Does Robin know about this?" He and the Boy Wonder were close friends. If Robin knew about the 'long story', Kid Flash could surely ask him about it.

Tempestra had the wind platform hover in midair.

"Yes," she replied finally. "He knows." More than anyone else, in fact, but the girl didn't add that. "But don't bother asking him – he won't tell you anything about it."

Kid Flash frowned, falling uncharacteristically silent as his companion looked around, trying to remember which direction they'd come from. Finally, he spoke.

"Did you used to be a criminal?"

Despite her training, Tempestra looked surprised.

"What – what makes you say that?" she demanded, trying to get her emotions under control. The girl stared at her companion, too stunned to start the wind platform flying.

Kid Flash shrugged nonchalantly, though a small smirk, barely visible in the dark, tugged at the side of his mouth. He knew that he was correct.

"I heard some of your conversation," he replied casually, ruffling his hair with one hand. "Add that with some of my superior brain skills, and I got to the right conclusion."

"It's not-" Tempestra began to deny, then stopped. It was no use lying to Kid Flash. Taking a deep breath, the girl continued, "Fine. Yes, I used to be a thief. That's why I'm not exactly a superhero. But," her voice became firm, "don't you dare tell anyone else about this."

As Kid Flash opened his mouth to say something, he was abruptly interrupted by a loud jingle – the Teen Titans music tune. Taking out his small yellow communicator, the speedster flipped it open to see Robin's tense face on the screen. The Boy Wonder, looking even more serious than usual, spoke first.

"Kid Flash. There's an emergency. The Teen Titans are being attacked all over the world, and we need help." As Robin took in a breath to go on, Kid Flash interrupted him.

"Yeah, I know. I just had the Newfu guy and Red X on my tail. Don't worry," he added, as Robin's eyes widened, "We're good now." The speedster glanced at Tempestra, who was watching the screen warily.

Robin nodded, looking a tiny bit less stressful.

"Good," he said briskly. "Then I need you to go help the nearest Titan. Find Speedy first and help him. Then go help Bumblebee, Mas Y Menos, and possibly Aqualad. And..." The Boy Wonder hesitated, as if thinking something over, then looked at Tempestra. "Tempestra, we need your help. I know you're not exactly a Titan, but we need all the allies we can get. Anybody."

Looking slightly pleased, the vigilante nodded.

"All right. I'll help."

The Boy Wonder smiled grimly.

"Good. Robin out."

When the screen went black, Kid Flash pushed a few buttons, then brought up a dark green screen. His location, a green dot, and Speedy's location, a red dot, were displayed on the screen. Without a word, Tempestra turned her wind platform around and began flying towards the new direction.

There was silence as the two teens went into their own thoughts. Tempestra was marveling over the fact that Robin had actually requested her aid. The situation really must have been so dire that, despite their rocky past, the Boy Wonder was willing to ask her, not even a true superhero, for help.

Then again, if all the Teen Titans – which were many of the generation's superheroes – were being attacked, the situation really was ominous. If Kid Flash's attack was like the others, it meant one thing: the Brotherhood of Evil was hiring people, criminals and villains, to take the Teen Titans down and bring them in. And that was calamitous for the teen superheroes, all of which were spread far and wide over the world. If none were left...

Kid Flash, meanwhile, looked thoughtful. He was the first to break the silence.

"When we're done helping Speedy and the others," he commented, "I've got an idea on who to ask for help." At Tempestra's inquiring look, the speedster added, "Someone you wouldn't expect, but I know we can rely on."

With a sigh, Tempestra nodded.

"All right. But only once we're done helping the others." They continued flying on in a comfortable silence, before the vigilante remarked, "And your brain skills aren't superior."

This brought out a laugh from Kid Flash, who was abruptly interrupted as the communicator he held in his hand suddenly emitted a sizzle and broke into pieces in his hand, a thin electrical bolt crackling over the remains. Startled, the teen looked at Tempestra, who held her hands up, commenting, "It wasn't me. I swear."

With a groan of frustration, Kid Flash ran a hand through his hair.

"Great. Just great. So now we can't help any of the Titans because the stupid communicator malfunctioned or something. We're doomed."

Tempestra rolled her eyes at the speedster's melodramatics, and changed the direction of the wind platform again.

"No, we're not. We're going to go straight to the Brotherhood of Evil's headquarters. If they're behind all of this, that's probably where they're taking the other Titans."

Kid Flash stared at her, surprised.

"And you know where it is?"

The vigilante snorted.

"Of course I do. I was a thief, once, remember?" Comprehension dawned on the superhero's face as the girl continued, "And it's not that hard to find, on account of the fact that it's not hidden very well. It's underground in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower. Probably one of the most cliché spots in the world."

A grin began to spread over Kid Flash's face.

"Sweet." Then he remembered something. "Wait. I need to get that help, remember?"

Tempestra frowned, but made the wind platform begin to descend towards the ground, where the same forest sprawled over the area for miles.

"We might not have time for that," she pointed out. "We have to fly to Paris on a plane, since we wouldn't survive on just the wind platform over the Atlantic."

"Maybe _you_ have to," Kid Flash replied smugly. "I can just run. Look. Just let me down. You go on to Paris without me. I'll get the help, then run to the headquarters. It'll be a lot faster this way," the speedster added, at the vigilante's doubtful look. "All right?"

After a moment's hesitation, Tempestra nodded. Steering the wind platform towards a small clearing, she lowered it so that it hovered a foot over the ground. The twisting air caused the grass to sway in place as Kid Flash, squinting in the dark, stepped onto firm ground once more. Before the vigilante could fly away, the speedster called her name.

"Tempestra."

The Asian girl turned the wind platform around. She couldn't see Kid Flash's expression perfectly, but she could at least see that he looked apprehensive.

"Yeah?"

"I'll keep the thief thing to myself," the boy promised. In response, Tempestra nodded to show that she knew he'd keep his promise. It was one of the few things she could count on him to do.

"Thanks."

The speedster flashed his signature grin.

"Don't worry about me coming to the headquarters in time," he assured the vigilante. "I'll be running faster than the wind." When the girl genuinely smiled, the superhero saluted mockingly. "Later."

Then he was gone, the trampled grass and whoosh of air the only signs that he'd been there a second ago. And Tempestra, with a smile still lingering on her face, rose into the air and headed the opposite way. The two teens had parted ways, but were sure that they'd see each other again. At that moment, they never thought that it could turn out any other way.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm not making any plans to write what happens during the "Titans Together" episode (if I did, it would probably involve Tempestra fighting alongside the Titans, most likely getting to fight Cheshire at one point or another), but if enough people ask for it, I might consider writing it.


End file.
